Painter&#39;s guide and guard



Feb, 25, R E L G RE PAINTER'S GUIDE AND GUARD Filed oct. 16, 1967 Rene E. Leger INVENTOR.

3,429,296 PAINTERS GUIDE AND GUARD Rene E. Legere, 3 Bernadette St.,

Fitchburg, Mass. 01420 Filed Oct. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 675,602 US. Cl. 118504 Int. Cl. B05c 11/00 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a protector-type shield for predetermined surface portions of a baseboard, upper and lower complemental strips of molding, and an area of the floor during the time the user is painting the adjacent surface of a room wall with a brush or roller and has to do with an improved adaptation which functions as an anti-splattering guard and which can also be and is usable as a marking guide indicative of each area which is to be painted in the customary step-by-step manner.

Briefly, the device is characterized by three component parts, namely, a suitably elongated panel which may be made of wood or plastic material and which is preferably rectangular in shape. It is of a width that the upper longitudinal edge can lean or rest unattached against a wall surface either even with or justabove the upper strip of molding. The lower edge spans a prescribed complemental area of the floor or floor covering as the case may be. Means resides atop the floor surface and is capable of positioning and retaining the panel in its set surface covering and shielding position. The preferred means comprises at least one panel setting and retaining block. Usually, however, two such blocks are employed and the upper surface portions are provided with one or more oblique-angled kerfs which serve as keeper seats for the insertable and removable lower edge portion of the panel.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention simple rectangular floor blocks are used as panel adapters and retainers. The panel itself may be inclined so that it will slope and assume the desired splatter resisting angle. Then, too, the panel can be propped to assume the suggested pitch or angle shown with the upper edge above the molding or substantially flush with the molding. This upper edge can be used as a guide for one who desires to carefully cut in the coat of paint with care as a preliminary painting step. The length of the panel can be such as to assist the painter in gaging the painting steps as the panel is shifted from one corner in a step-by-step manner as is often done by the painter who prefers to paint in a systematic or step-by-step manner.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a portion of a room and also showing the combination painters guide 3,4292% Patented Feb. 25, 1969 and guard and the manner in which it is customarily put in position for protective use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the section line 22 of FIG. 1.

And FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the three component parts, that is, the guide and guard panel and the adapting, positioning and temporary retaining blocks.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 the floor is denoted at 6, the vertical wall at 8, the baseboard at 10, the upper strip of molding at 12 and the lower floor strip at 14.

The dual purpose guide and guard device comprises a readily applicable and removable as well as adjustable splatter resisting panel 16. This panel is of appropriate length and width and is preferably rectangular and has an upper longitudinal marginal edge 18, a lower longitudinal edge 20 and transverse end edges 22. The edge 20 is intended to be placed above and generally parallel with the floor surface. The edge 18 can be caused to rest against the wall or against the molding in the general manner suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2. On the other hand the panel can be wholly supported and free of contact with the wall surface by using the angling and supporting floor blocks or adapters 24. Each block is of suitable material, as is the panel and has a fiat bottom surface 26 to rest atop the floor surface. The upper longitudinal face 28 of the block is provided with at least one and preferably two oblique angled kerfs or slots 30 and 32 which serve as keeper seats for the lower edge portion 20 of the panel. The blocks can be placed adjacent the ends of the panel or spaced inwardly from the ends as suggested in FIG. 1. The edge portion 20 can fit snugly in a selected keeper seat or some slight clearance, if desired, could be employed to facilitate attaching and detaching the blocks. In either event when the two blocks and panel are assembled for cooperating relationship the panel is angled to assume a downwardly sloping guard position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The manner of setting up, using and shifting the combination guide and guard will, as is usually the case, depend to some extent on the skill and experience of the painter. It is also a matter of variable procedure whether the user will employ a drop cloth or the like (not shown) or whether he will use the panel as a protective guard alone or as a combination planning guide and guard. It follows that the manner of use will vary in keeping with the practice and result desired by individual users.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A free-standing floor-supported painters guide and guard comprising an elongated planar panel of a predetermined (l) length capable of measuring and designating the area which has been fully painted and which can be bodily manually shifted along the floor step-by-step from said painted area to the adjacent unpainted area and (2) of a width to incline upwardly and provide a temporary splatter shield for a given floor space and corresponding surface portions of the usual baseboard, the upper longitudinal edge of said shield being capable of leaning and resting in splatter resisting contact with a coacting surface of a vertical wall which is to be painted, and support means cooperating with the lower longitudinal edge portion of said panel, said support means being adapted to reside shiftably atop that surface of the floor which is aligned with the locale of the in-use panel, and the upper leaning edge of said panel overhanging and projecting beyond predetermined underlying portions of said support means, wherein said support means comprises a pair of like floor blocks, said blocks being rectangular in crosssectional dimension, of a length less than the vertical width of said panel, said blocks having top sides and being provided intermediate their ends with oblique angled kerfs opening through said top sides and constituting keeper seats for reception and removable retention of the seatable lower edge of said panel and being spaced from and relative to the respective inward and outward ends of said blocks to achieve the upwardly and rearwardly inclining and free-standing splattering shielding position desired.

2. A paint guide and splatter shield comprising: an elongated planar panel; support means for a lower elongated edge portion of said panel whereby it is supported in a manner to incline upwardly and rearwardly relative to said support means; said panel being of a size proportional to said support means to present its upper elongated edge in a plane which lies substantially beyond the locale of the support whereby said upper edge may be disposed for its functional purpose in contact with a vertical Wall surface to be painted; said support means comprising a pair of flat bottomed blocks adapted to be supported on a floor surface proximal to said vertical wall; said blocks having longitudinal surfaces spaced apart and parallel with one another and disposed at right angles to the said lower edge of the panel; said blocks having top surfaces provided with inclined kerfs retentively but removably receiving said lower edge, whereby to support said panel in said upwardly and rearwardly inclined position.

3. The paint guide and splatter shield defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein said panel is rectangular in plan, is of uniform thickness, said panel and also said blocks being free of connection with the vertical wall, the baseboard or said floor, said blocks being alike in construction, being wholly supported atop the floor and adjustable along the lower edge of said panel to achieve the desired cooperation and balance desired at will, and said panel being of a width greater than the length of said blocks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,563,889 12/1925 Zastrow 118-505 1,915,631 6/ 1933 Truba et a1 118-505 X 2,078,126 4/1937 Cusick 118-505 2,126,501 8/1938 Puderbaugh 118-505 2,290,472 7/ 1942 Hendrick 118-505 2,482,977 9/ 1949 Hendrick 118-505 2,698,003 12/1954 Bullock 118-504 3,039,433 6/1962 Kormuth 118-505 3,208,173 9/1965 Shank 248-201 X 3,272,183 9/1966 Craighead et al. 248-441 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,156 1910 Great Britain. 476,749 12/ 1952 Italy.

PETER FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

